The Mark Firmly Hits Theirs

It occurred to me as I sat to write this that Jean Georges really doesn’t get too creative with most of his restaurant names; Jean Georges, is well, his restaurant, Perry Street is located on Perry Street, Mercer Kitchen can be thought of as belonging to both the street and the hotel under which it resides, ABC Kitchen is in ABC Carpet and the Mark is shockingly located in the hotel of the same name.  It would be hard to get lost going to one of his places, Spice Market and JoJo excluded.  But I did feel quite lost in the best possible way at my last meal at The Mark, which made me feel like a glamorous visitor in my own city.  For the over 60 block journey, I dressed in a way that I would never think twice of when going to eat in my usual downtown stomping grounds: Cool jeans, high Loubs, etc, but I quickly realized that everyone dining there was just a little more dressed up, a little older, with accents being the ubitiquous accessory. The buzz in the small bar room and warm lighting in the dining room transported me to many such hotels that I have stayed in, making the environment feel both familiar and exotic. I was a tourist on the UES, and I liked it.

The food here is beyond, simply put. Upper East Side breeding be damned, it is just fucking delicious.  It is no secret that Jean Georges is my favorite chef, and his ability to execute exciting and complex flavor combinations is on full display on the wide-encompassing menu at the Mark.  Essentially, the menu could almost (and it might even) double as a room service menu- there is a “something for everyone” feel to it, minus a club sandwich.  Every time I eat at the Mark,  it takes me forever to pick from the large range of appealing options. Things never sound fussy or frou frou, but every dish belies ingredients that are perfectly matched to make the most of each other.  Even the “simply grilled” items come with some sort of amazing Sirracha mayo or something.

Almost always, my meal includes the black truffle pizza, which is an amazing triumph of pizza fanciness. If truffles are just simply too commonplace, the menu offers another ultimate indulgence: The $45 scrambled egg with vodka cream and Petrossian Caviar. This dish is also available at Jean Georges Proper, and it is worth every penny in my opinion.  For main dishes, our waiter most recently recommended the Salmon, declaring it as  the best fish, and the Asian lean on the composition showed exactly how deft JG is at those flavor profiles.  The simple sounding Parmesan Crusted chicken breast with lemon sauce and artichokes is a delight of textures and will definitely make a breast man out of anyone.  The lobster is a very popular dish, on top of a creamy risotto,  as are the Simply Grilled items (this is the UES after all, can’t leave too much to be burned off at Soul Cycle).  Desserts hold up their end of the deal and ensure that a meal at the Mark ends on a high and sweet note, most recently sampled was the Apple Crisp with cornbread crumble on top, I think my mouth just watered a little at the recollection…

The distinctly Uptown vibe of the Mark fits perfectly in with the hotel and the clientele; my advice to visitors would be to try  The Mercer as well while in town, but to loosen up the cufflinks and leave behind the dress bags for the long Town Car trip to Soho…I am so jealous of everyone who gets to eat their truffle pizza and retire to their room upstairs, I think it is time to book a trip…